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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493751">Stronger Than You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/killuagh/pseuds/killuagh'>killuagh</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunter X Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Assassination Attempt(s), Living Together, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:42:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/killuagh/pseuds/killuagh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(9:04PM) Your next target is a man named Hisoka Morow. </p><p>—</p><p>Illumi’s assassination attempts on Hisoka.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stronger Than You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay so I just had this idea late last night and ran with it, hopefully you enjoy the first chapter!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(12:01PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> are you in town Illumi? let’s meet!</p><p>(12:10PM)<em> I do not recognise this number. Do not message me again. </em></p><p>(12:11PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> ahh Illu you wound me! Not even saving my number? Harsh.</p><p>(12:14PM) <em> I will block you Hisoka.  </em></p><p>(12:15PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> I miss you! Haven’t seen you since your last job. </p><p>(12:16PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> and you would never block me!</p><p>(12:17PM) <em> You mean the job you ruined? The mark escaped because of you. </em></p><p>(12:18PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> ah…. semantics.</p><p> </p><p>Illumi’s phone, abnormally active, chimed for the sixth time that day, alerting him of a new message. A message from Hisoka. He blinked quickly, eyes darting across the screen in an unfamiliar fashion as he took in the newest notification.</p><p> </p><p>(12:20PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> besides.. I have information on your newest mark! Wouldn’t you like to know Illu?</p><p> </p><p>The iron like grip on his phone tightened further, and Illumi’s features folded into his accustomed frown. His phone was thrown haphazardly onto the polished desk - decidedly ignoring all traces of Hisoka’s contact. He doubted Hisoka had any new information, but a feeling of curiosity flitted through Illumi. He paused, eyes flitting to the device, his fingers absentmindedly combing through the eternal waterfall of silk resting against his back. A begrudged sigh escaped Illumi and his hand shot out to grab the phone once more.</p><p> </p><p>(12:25PM) <em> ? </em></p><p>(12:26PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> my dear Illu you have such a way with words!</p><p>(12:30PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> I’m kidding. Sorry. He used to be a businessman I dealt with. He’s being targeted by his wife - cheating. The usual.</p><p>(12:31PM) <em> I know all of this. </em></p><p>(12:32PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> Ah! But I bet you don’t know that he is also a vital part of a gang in Yorkshin. A lot of people are after him- better get to him quickly.</p><p>(12:36PM) <em> I know how to do my job. Goodbye. </em></p><p>(12:36PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> knock them dead! Ha.</p><p> </p><p>Illumi’s sharp fingernails dug viciously into his skin, his annoyance prominent. He let himself read through the messages again, frown twisting unconsciously into a quirk of a smile at Hisoka’s joke. He pocketed his phone and stood up, collecting his necessities before exiting the room and quietly making his way through the estate. The beginnings of a headache from fatigue and frustration edged  away at Illumi’s patience. There was a telling slam of the door and he was gone.</p><p>Somewhere in the house, Milluki quivered with fright at the abrupt noise.</p><p>-</p><p>The hotel room was supposedly empty when he arrived.</p><p>Immediately, the sound of incessant ticking from the broken alarm clock filled his ears. Illumi’s nose wrinkled, focusing on the scent of rotting, forgotten food staining the air with its pungency. It mingled with the smell of sweat and a metallic scent that infiltrated the cool air of the open window. The shutters on the window slammed abruptly against the wall, and Illumi flinched. He rolled his eyes ashamedly at his reaction and focused instead on the surroundings of the room. Days - no, perhaps week old food littered the tables, along with notes of scrawled and indecipherable writing. A phone number. Why did he recognise the number?</p><p>Illumi stepped gently over the remnants of the smashed glass he had left on the carpeted floor and looked down upon the note. Playing cards lay haphazardly next to it and the leering face of the joker sat upon the stack, mocking. A violent feeling of despair began to rise in Illumi’s stomach. He punched in the phone number and let his phone dial, already knowing who was on the other end of the phone. A static noise filtered through Illumi’s ears, confirming the call had gone through.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm? Hello?”</p><p> </p><p>Illumi felt his blood turn to ice.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Where is he?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I killed him,” Hisoka stated. “I told you he <em> was </em> a business partner of mine. Body’s in the en suite. I did tell yo-“</p><p>The line rang dead, Illumi’s finger hovering over the end call button. His silent fury perpetuated only through his clenched fists and set jaw. He stalked over to the bathroom, the door flying open and slamming against the white tiled wall. A grimace settled over Illumi’s face as he looked over the corpse. Hisoka never liked to clean up after himself.</p><p>The man sat slumped against the wall, head lolled over to one side, almost as if he were sleeping. Sluggish, crimson blood pooled around the base of his neck, paired with the strokes of fluorescent blue and purple bruises. Illumi sighed, his eyes immediately finding the calling card. A playing card dug into the smooth flesh on his neck, bent slightly at the corner. Probably the man’s doing, out of desperation to stop the assault, Illumi assumed. The man was of 40 years of age, tan and covered in soft wrinkles - yet his body was rotting and devoid of life. His milky, glassed over eyes remained wide open and the jade irises conveying complete terror. The terror in his eyes was supposed to be towards him. Hisoka stole his kill.</p><p>(5:06PM) <em> Fuck you. </em></p><p>(5:07PM) <span class="u">Unknown Number:</span> </p><p>
  <b>        Audio Recording —— 14 Seconds</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Manic laughter of Hisoka’s audio message rang like a bell throughout the room, enhanced by the reverb the bathroom provided. A small smile graced Illumi’s lips and he pressed the power button, the sound of glee cutting off abruptly, leaving behind the stretch of silence from before. A small knock at the door interrupted Illumi’s thoughts and his neck snapped instantaneously to greet the source of the noise.</p><p> </p><p>“Mr Corleone - room service!”</p><p>The disembodied voice continued to talk through the door and Illumi filtered it out, focusing on the urgency of his task. He tipped his head back and breathed in: bloodlust dancing in his veins, skin crawling with anticipation. He shifted in place, readying the needles between his fingers. </p><p>The door creaked open to the sight of a young woman with brown, shoulder length hair and kind eyes. An expression of pure shock fell upon her face as she gazed over the wreck. Furniture was strewn around the scene and rickety shelves hung precariously on the wall, lined with dust and drops of blood. The room was suddenly enveloped in an unexpected wash of coldness as she set her eyes upon Illumi, who stood tall and elegant next to the hunched over cadaver. A sharp and unintentional gasp was emitted from the woman and it hung in the air as condensated breath. </p><p>The woman made to move slightly away from the scene, body trembling with fear, and her jugular was immediately pierced by the five glinting needles in between Illumi’s fingers. Her eyes widened slightly and she fell to the floor with a loud thud, blood trickling down her neck. Illumi nodded and promptly turned back the way he came, gracefully exiting out of the smashed window.</p><p> </p><p>(5:47PM) <em> The target is dead Father. </em></p><p>-</p><p>Illumi sat leisurely upon the gravelled roof of the hotel. The crescent moon shone clearly up above, radiant and prominent against the dark wash of the night sky. The temperamental, dingy yellow light of the opposite shop’s roof flickered constantly, like a dying match. The illuminated sign was half absent, the decrepit and pitiful letters reading "co v ni nce st re”.</p><p>Illumi stretched out his limbs, and eased himself up from his uncomfortable position on the roof. A check of his phone told him he had 12 unread messages. He scrolled through the notifications, lips upturning at the messages from Hisoka, detailing facts about his upcoming match at Heaven’s Arena. Illumi stopped promptly at the next message. It was from his father.</p><p> </p><p>(9:04PM) <b>Your next target is a man named Hisoka Morow. He is an ex Phantom Troupe member. His residence is at Heaven’s Arena— you will receive further details when you return.</b></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am not good at rereading my writing so if there are any mistakes please let me know! I would also appreciate if you left a comment!! (even criticism lol) I struggle with characterisation but hopefully it’s not too bad</p></blockquote></div></div>
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